Strait of Malacca
Singapore to the Andaman Sea — the world's busiest tanker chokepoint.
Open the live Malacca tracker
See every vessel currently in the Strait of Malacca, with sanctioned vessels highlighted in red.
Launch live map →How many ships pass through the Strait of Malacca each day?
Roughly 200 to 300 vessels per day on average. Annual traffic, live composition by vessel type, and real-time density are visible on our live tracker.
Why the Strait of Malacca matters
Malacca handles roughly 25% of all seaborne trade and the majority of crude oil destined for China, Japan, and South Korea. About 90,000 vessels transit annually — more than any other major chokepoint. The two alternative routes (Lombok and Sunda straits) add 1–3 days transit time and are far less suited to deep-draft tankers.
Geography
The Strait of Malacca is the 805-kilometre sea lane between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, linking the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. It is the principal sea route between the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia.
Dimensions and constraints
At its narrowest point (Phillips Channel near Singapore) the strait is just 2.8 km wide. Depths range from 25 to 100 metres along the main shipping channel — adequate for fully laden VLCCs but a binding constraint that limits ULCC traffic. The Malaccamax design (330 m × 60 m × 20.5 m draft) is named for it.
About the data
Vessel positions come from aggregated terrestrial and satellite AIS, de-duplicated across multiple providers. The public feed is delayed approximately 60 to 180 seconds from broadcast. Commercial users with a paid plan get full vessel detail — voyage history, draught classification, sanctions context, ownership chain.
Frequently asked questions
How many ships pass through the Strait of Malacca each day?
Between 200 and 300 vessels per day — about 90,000 transits per year. This makes Malacca the world's busiest commercial chokepoint by vessel count, ahead of Suez and Panama.
Is the Strait of Malacca currently open?
Yes. Our live tracker shows current vessel positions. Malacca has never been formally closed; piracy concerns peaked in the early 2000s but have largely been suppressed via coordinated patrols by Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Why is the Strait of Malacca so important?
It is the principal sea route between the Middle East / Africa and East Asia. Roughly 30% of global crude oil moves through it, plus the majority of containerised Asian exports to Europe. The two alternative straits (Lombok, Sunda) cannot absorb the traffic at the same scale.
What types of ships transit the Strait of Malacca?
Crude and product tankers heading to China, Japan, South Korea; ultra-large container ships on Asia-Europe and Asia-Mediterranean services; LNG carriers; bulk carriers (iron ore, coal); car carriers; general cargo. The full spectrum of commercial shipping.
How wide and deep is the Strait of Malacca?
Narrowest 2.8 km (Phillips Channel near Singapore). Main shipping channel depths range from 25 to 100 metres. The 'Malaccamax' vessel design (max 20.5 m draft) is named after the strait's depth constraint, which prevents fully laden ULCCs from transiting.
Why does the Strait of Malacca matter for sanctions monitoring?
Tankers carrying sanctioned crude — Iranian, Russian, Venezuelan — routinely traverse Malacca to deliver to Chinese ports, often via ship-to-ship transfer (STS) in the strait or just east of it. Our overlay surfaces any sanctioned vessel currently in the bbox.
Other chokepoints we cover
Strait Up Maritime tracks seven maritime chokepoints. Same dataset, same sanctioned overlay, same 60-second refresh.